[Savannah-register-public] [task #10496] Submission of Quagga Routing Software

[Alex Fernandez]

Follow-up Comment #4, task #10496 (project administration):

Hi,

Paul responded on the savannah-register-public mailing list, so I am
including his replies here and answering too.

* You speak about "Linux", but we prefer that you use "GNU/Linux": it gives
credit to the GNU project besides the Linux kernel. Read the Hosting
requirements <https://savannah.gnu.org/register/requirements.php> for more
details.

_Oops, yes._

* Some documentation files (NEWS, README, Changelog...) lack the required GPL
header.

_The ChangeLog file is deprecated iirc. We'll remove it. For stuff like a
README file, I'm not eniterly sure it makes sense to add a GPL header - it
would detract from the immediacy of the content. Further, I do not anticipate
ever caring about copyright infringement on such files, and anyway it should
already be clear from the COPYING file that these are GPLed (the header is
added to more important files, like C source, just to ensure readers can't
miss the fact)._

For the README file, you can always add the license header at the bottom so
as to keep it readable. Keep in mind that we have to worry not only about
copyright infringement, but also about protecting all users of the package.
Having clear copyright assignments helps make the status of each file legally
sound.

* There are a few PNG files in there, but it's not clear where they come
from. The best solution is usually to state in the README or some similar file
the license for each one.

_You're probably looking at a 'make dist' tarball, and the PNGs come from the
'Dia' files in the same directory, I think._

Probably, so these aren't needed? In this case they can just be removed
safely, right?

* Please upload a new tarball with these issues solved, and let us know when
it's ready for a new review, OK?

_Ok, that will take a week or so - am on holidays. ;)_

Good for you, the task will be left open.

* Finally, you say that Quagga is a fork of GNU Zebra; while forks are
sometimes necessary (and GNU Zebra seems to have stopped development in 2005),
it might be better to help the original package move along. Have you contacted
the authors of GNU Zebra, and/or the GNU project, to see if they would like
some contributors?

_Yes we did. We were in contact with RMS and the FSF about this even before
the fork - which was quite a while ago. The original GNU project is mostly
dead in terms of community and development, relative to Quagga. Unfortunately,
they were not willing to hand the project on._

_As per Karl, things just are as they are in this regard._

That is fine then.

_I'll try address your issues soon. I will probably submit a tarfile without
the auto-generated bits next time (maintainer clean kind of thing)._

If you think this can take too long you are free to close this task and
resubmit when you are ready; whatever suits you better.

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